Inflation saves the day

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Sunraysia's famous blue skies finally made an
appearance yesterday for the 16th Nudie
World Hot Air Balloon titles.Picture:Paul Harris

International balloons took to the air at last over Mildura yesterday. But it had been a frustrating beginning to the world's biggest hot-air balloon event. Anxious pilots were given the all-clear only after appealing to race organisers to rethink a decision to abandon official practice flights for the 16th Nudie World Hot Air Balloon titles.

More than 1000 pilots, support crews and officials from 36 countries had been grounded by the weather for most of the week, and at the 6.30am briefing yesterday, officials declared wind-speed gusts at more than eight knots were too strong and ruled out the final practice flights.

But they changed their minds after an appeal from the reigning Australian champion, Sean Kavanagh. "A lot of these crews arrived only on Friday and it would be like asking formula one drivers to get out on the track without any warm-ups," he said.

More than 2800 weather balloons will be launched over the six days of the championships to calculate wind speeds at 250-metre intervals. The hot-air balloon pilots ascend and descend to use different currents at varying heights to steer their craft, but favourable wind conditions are crucial for take-off and landing.

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The weather bureau is expecting fine conditions to give pilots and officials some certainty for at least three days from today.

Kavanagh, Edwin Michell and Paul Gibbs hold four national titles between them, and will be trying to win the elusive world title for Australia for the first time.

The first world titles to be staged in the southern hemisphere are expected to be worth more than $1.2 million to the Mildura region, which, with its wide-open spaces and settled weather, has become Australia's hot-air balloon mecca.

At the opening ceremony, about 100 balloons were inflated across the arena in a spectacular start to what Sean Kavanagh says is a cut-throat contest. "Make no mistake, they might look beautiful but it's like any other elite sporting contest," he said.